‘Marvel Snap’ at center of massive gaming controversy before launch

A new collectible card game (CCG) based on the world of Marvel Comics, Marvel Snap, has sparked internet hysteria over a classic example of microtransactions and mobile games leaning far too heavily on them.

Following in the same vein as trendsetters Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, Elder Scrolls Legends and countless more, a collectible card game with the Hearthstone-esque mechanics combined with the expansive world of Marvel Comics seems like a sure-fire hit.

But after an investigation by Twitch streamer and YouTuber Jim Hoogland, it’s been revealed that the new game will cost players close to $1000 a month to keep up to date with all the new card variants via the game’s “Nexus Event” seasonal awards. The research found that in order to get a guaranteed “super rare” reward from the game’s Nexus Events, players would need to spin 200 times.

In particular, there’s outrage over the fact that powerful cards have been locked down to such a low chance of owning, breaking any meta and making the game favor those with cash to burn.

The streamer explains it in simple terms in his YouTube video, and the controversy has caused outcry from fans as well as those in the industry. Marvel Snap has yet to even fully launch; for the past few weeks, it’s only been available in different stages of open beta access. The gameplay had been positively received by those who’ve had the chance to play it, so a microtransaction controversy is a bitter blow to the marketing.

A “whaling simulator” has been using to describe the game on the subreddit for the game, while some games journalists have already called this to be the downfall of Marvel’s attempt to hone in on the CCG market.

The subreddit’s reaction to this can be summarised as not looking good for the developer Second Dinner Studios or publisher Nuverse. Countless posts on the sub have detailed it as trash, with many PSAs going on warning players not to try the “nexus event” microtransaction loot boxes.

Perhaps the most damning of all is that this may just cut off press interest in the game, with one journalist already saying they’ll no longer be covering the game due to this situation. If there’s limited coverage in media of a game’s updates, the publisher will be solely hoping they can market the game themselves. The loss of organic fans already on the forums for the game will hurt the most for the Nuverse, who had only just built up a following for Marvel Snap.

Marvel Snap will continue to open its doors to new territories, but it remains to be seen if the publisher and developers will turn away from this controversial system.